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On a daily basis I check for any NBA rumors regarding the NBA. Of course, my main goal is to see if any of those rumors involve our beloved Lakers. In an effort to not get too excited I try to remember that not only are they just rumors but that you have to pay attention to the source or sources that they are coming from. So, today, before I started studying, I wanted to share some rumors that I thought some of you might be interested in reading and talking about. Especially since we won't have any basketball until Wednesday. Also, I don't want to put my point of view on how any of these rumors might or might not impact the Lakers. I rather read what you guys think about them.

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This whole topic/post started because my friend wouldn’t come out of the closet.  If you were to have a poll about the NBA and ask any question, as long as one of the options was Michael Jordan, he will always win.  Even if the majority of the voters never seen him play first hand. 

 

Anyway, here is the conversation that started this post……..

 

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Well, I did it losers. I finally got engaged. I know that I am breaking a lot of hearts out there (especially WaveOcean and SCG). We haven't set the actual date but it will definitely be by the Summer of 2012. Don't worry, I'm not goint to get all emotional. I just wanted to share this with my extended family of SSR. By the way, buying the ring isn't what I expected it would be. It was fairly simple especially since my fiance has been sending me pics of the type of ring she wanted for years. I wasn't nervous because of the proposal but because I wanted to get the right ring. See picture above. Oh yeah! I did get on one knee and propose to her after she came out of the shower. Not that romantic, I know, but she looooooved the ring and is so happy that I FINALLY got the guts to propose. Anyways, thank you for letting me share this with you guys.

 

Hopefully, in the near future, there will be a little JellyBean running around causing havoc like I am. 

The Lakers and the Denver Nuggets have had preliminary discussions about a blockbuster trade that would send Carmelo Anthony to Los Angeles, according to league sources. The Lakers' package would be built around Andrew Bynum.

Talks are in the preliminary stages, but it appears that another option besides the New York Knicks has materialized for the Nuggets.

"There have been discussions between the two teams," one of the sources said. "The Lakers are definitely an option."

As with any other rumor in the NBA you can't take it too serious.  I still don't know what to think of it though.  Good or bad? not sure.  

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=6101304

 

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There is no way that a 16-7 record this early in the season will have me worried about the Lakers.  Health is a bigger concern but that applies to all of the teams in the NBA.  Just ask Shaq.  He looks so fat I wouldn’t be surprised if two Jerseys were sewn together just to make his.

 Anyways, looking closer at the Lakers’ 7 losses I couldn’t help but notice one trend.  We all know that when teams come out to play the Lakers they bring their A game every single time.  Sometimes, it’s not the team but just a single player that makes the difference:

Nuggets vs Lakers (118-112)

Ty Lawson – Season Avg. 9.4 – Against the Lakers 17 pts

 Suns vs Lakers (121-116)

Channing Frye – Season Avg. 11pts – Against the Lakers 20 pts

 Pacers vs Lakers (95-92)

Roy Hibbert – Season Avg. 15.2 – Against the Lakers 24 pts

 Memphis vs Lakers (96-98)

Mike Conley – Season Avg. 15.6 – Against the Lakers 28 pts

 Houston vs Lakers (99-109)

Shane Battier – Season Avg. 8.2 – Against the Lakers 17 pts

 The only two losses that I left out were the Jazz (96-102) and the Bulls (84-88) and that is only because those are the only losses in which no individual player had an out of the ordinary game in which he doubled or scored well above his average or at least not enough to make a huge difference.  

 Not only did these teams need exceptional games from individual players to beat the Lakers but also I doubt that any team can beat the Lakers in a seven game series in the playoffs/finals if they rely on this type of production from an individual player.  Just ask Ray Allen. Also, when you take into consideration that they are losing by an average of about 5 pts, shit! I will take that any day.  I mean really?  The worst loss they have had is a 10 pt loss to the Rockets. And all of this without Bynum.  Pu-lease!

 This doesn’t excuse their flaws but it’s still too early to act like the season is over.  So, put your Chicken Little outfit away and just give it time.  We got this.  

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My girlfriend told me that Pat Riley is one of the sexiest men she has ever seen on television.  So, if she knew the following story she would probably want to have his kids.  

Background information:

During the 1985 Finals the Lakers faced the Celtics and they got their ass kicked during game 1. The beat down was so bad that to this day it is known as the Memorial Day Massacre.  Although the Celtics beat the Lakers with a score of 148 to 114 in game 1 the Lakers still won the title in 6 games.  But it was what happened after game 1 that changed the series.

After that game Riley said that misery was the best state because it was then that you find out what you have inside. So, in order for Riley to find out what his players had inside he calls a team meeting the following day which is usually when the team would go over video footage of the previous game.  

The following is Cooper and Magic's versions:

Cooper's version:

It was just like a 30-minute video but Riley sat there and replayed it.  Every time you fucked up, he'd rewind it five times.  You just sat there and saw yourself fucking up five times.  

It literally stayed on Kareem.  And would say, "Cap, look at how this guy is beating you down the floor!"  I thought he had literally gone crazy, just totally lost it, 'cause he wasn't maniacal, he was silent....I was waiting for Kareem to say, "Hey, Riles, fuck this, lets get on," but he never said anything.  He'd just shake his head and continue to watch.

And he went down the line-Kareem, Magic.  He went through all the starters.  He went systematically to everybody.  Once the video was over, the guy stood up, put the remote down and he proceeded to go off on us verbally.  Tried to put his fist through the back of the chalkboard.  The Chalk went flying.  People who were sitting up front looked like they were at the movies when it gets scary.  Things were happening!

Magic's version:

He came out and he started, "You guys call yourselves the Three Musketeers?"  "You guys ain't crap"  He was talking about the guards.  "DJ's kicking your ass, Buck!  Danny Ainge is just intimidating you, Byron!"  

Down the line, he just made you feel like you were this tall.  And Kareem, he got to Kareem, just called him every name in the book.  "You're supposed to be our captain, our fucking leader!  You didn't even show to play! This is the world championship!  They just took it to you!  And What makes things worse, Greg Kite came in and did it to you! And what makes it worst, Buck, you foul DJ and then you pick his ass up!  We're down 40 points.  If one man picks up a Celtic, $500 fine!  If there's one layup-one layup!-another fine! No box out, another $500!"

It was the greatest coaching strategy that I've ever seen.

 

If any of you want to read similar stories I suggest you read Madmen's Ball which is where I got this story from.  Dam, come to think of it,  after sharing this with all of you I think I would have Riley's baby to.  Either way, in my eyes Riley will forever represent purple and gold.  

Just as the Boston Celtics singing of Shaq and J. O'neal proved, you can never have too much size.  Although the Ratliff signing was a great pick up and he will play better than Mbenga did, it would still be great to pick up another big.  As good as Ratliff is as a back up that is all he can serve as and nothing more.  He is too old to be considered the type of player who can handle a lot of minutes in case Bynum gets injured (knock on wood). 

I am in no way an expert on the specifics of contracts so I am not sure how it would work if the Bobcats were to infact waive Dampier.  But it wouldn't hurt to at least take a look at him.  Although Dampier being waived still remains to be seen, the signing of Kwame Brown by the Bobcats sure is a good indication of their intentions. 

Also, I know that the Lakers have made great additions this off season but one more wouldn't hurt.  Especially if it means addidng more size. 

I'm using some vacation time to tend to two elderly parents (thanks, Ron Green Jr., for filling in), but when I heard about the Bobcats signing Kwame Brown, I figured I'd blog in:

Some thoughts:

-- Again this is one more indication the Bobcats will eventually waive Erick Dampier's contract to off-load about $13 million in salary responsibility. Sorry if that ticks some of you off (I know you want Dampier to be a trade chip), and they certainly gave up an asset in Tyson Chandler.

 

http://blogs.charlotte.com/inside_the_nba/2010/08/dont-confuse-this-signing-with-a-doover.html

I was hoping that this DVD would be available today but apparently it isn't.  It is only available online.  I guess I have to wait a couple more days until I can view it.  In the meantime this will have to do so we can get our Lakers fix.  By the way, just in case anyone cares NBA has been replaying all the games that the Lakers played starting with round one of the playoffs.  

btw..a special note to Jevon NBA TV will be replaying the USA scrimage game that you were asking about.  They will show it Wednesday from 9am to 11am.  Sorry guys I didnt know of any other way to tell him.

 

 

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent center Theo Ratliff, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. Per team policy terms of the contract were not released.

“I’ve had a long and very rewarding career, and joining a storied and legendary franchise such as the Lakers adds an even more special element,” Ratliff said. “I look forward to playing for Coach Jackson and with great players such as Kobe, Derek, Pau, Lamar, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum and all my other new teammates, and hopefully to helping the Lakers win a third straight championship.”

Read more:http://realgm.net/src_wiretap_archives/68304/20100722/theo_ratliff_joins_lakers/#ixzz0uSlQw7f4

 

Unless the Cleveland Cavaliers raise their current multiyear offer to Matt Barnes(notes) on Thursday, the free-agent forward plans to sign a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Cavaliers are offering as much as a three-year deal that starts around $3.5 million a season, but Barnes wants more money if he’s going to sign with a non-championship contender, sources said. Barnes would take a $1.7 million deal to join the Lakers.

Barnes had a two-year, $9 million deal with the Toronto Raptors fall apart when the Orlando Magic didn’t have enough salary-cap room available to do a sign-and-trade.

Barnes averaged 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 81 games last season for the Magic.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AsEYOCtlktvSdp7kkKdGQNe8vLYF?slug=ys-barneslakers072210